‘WE will not let Chase Farm Hospital close, and we are calling a massive march though Enfield on Saturday June 6 to keep our hospital open’ said North East London Council of Action Secretary, Bill Rogers, yesterday.
He said in a statement: ‘Enfield Council is not appealing against the judge’s decision to refuse a Judicial Review of the closure of Chase Farm Hospital.
‘But local residents are completely opposed to the closure of Chase Farm Hospital as an acute District General Hospital.
‘They want it to stay open with all departments including consultant-led maternity, paediatrics, Accident and Emergency, acute medicine, emergency surgery, intensive care, and acute in-patient beds.
‘It is too far to go to Barnet or North Middlesex Hospitals, whose services will be stretched, and patients’ lives could be lost before they got there.
‘If the government gets its way, Chase Farm would be replaced with an elective surgery centre, urgent care centre, midwife led birthing unit and polyclinic, all ripe for tendering to the corporate private sector.
‘We have seen how at Mid-Staffordshire hospital, the trust board were so intent on becoming a foundation trust business, that they cut 150 posts including nurses and medical staff in order to save £10m.
‘This cost cutting policy resulted in an excess of over 400 deaths over three years.
‘This was the result of placing more importance on money saving cuts and privatisation reforms than providing high quality patient care.
‘No one wants to see a repeat of this disaster in Enfield.
‘We therefore call on the people of Enfield and southern parts of Hertfordshire to say “No” to the closure of Chase Farm as an acute District General Hospital.
‘Join with us and let’s have a huge march through Enfield on Saturday 6th June to show that we will not allow this disaster to happen.
‘We must show that we are prepared to stop the planned closure of Chase Farm and get ready to occupy!
‘We will not manage without these vital services, so let’s fight to keep them.!’